RE: Hoping all the PA Hunters are having good luck! Post Updates Here!
Sat with my 13 year old in a 2 man ladder stand aal day. the one deer we saw was a decent buck (an 8 or better with a rack that would have been around 100") at about 55 yards. He just popped out of a stand of greenbrier and crabapples that is just about impenetrable. When I spotted him he was working a licking branch and facing directly at us. He was behind a tree to my son and head on to us. The kid managed to get a look at an eye and a nose in the scope. Rather than have him move with the deer facing our way, I figured two more steps and he'd have a clear shot from where he sat. The buck worked that branch for 5 minutes and then turned 90 degrees into the briars.
Otherwise we were inundated with hunters. Thats always a risk on public land. We carried that two man ladder stand a mile back in only to have two quads with three guys on each park 50 yards from us. They didnt hunt there but between them and the other foot traffic, it's a wonder we saw anything at all.